Recovering from Extraction
by The Celestial Anachronism
Summary: Todd really hated Doctors, and after having his wisdom teeth yanked, he's starting to hate dentists too. It's amazing how something that lost its purpose eons ago can cause so many problems. Pepsquee


TCA: Here's yet another Pepsquee. Warnings for this one are pretty clear, homosexual couple and some mild squick for anyone who has had a wisdom tooth extraction. This thing has actually been sitting on my computer for a while, I wrote it in December after I got mine pulled (note that part of this was written under the influence of painkillers).

I do not own Todd 'squee' Casil, Pepito Diablo, or any other recognizable characters. I just enjoy playing with them.

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><p>Todd was two shakes of a tail feather from running away screaming the moment Pepito turned his back. If it wasn't for Senor Diablo standing by the door he would have already bolted, ran through the parking lot, and never looked back. It wasn't that he wasn't grateful to the Diablo family and their contemporaries in the coven for doing this for him, it was just that he was scared senseless of what he knew was coming.<p>

"Just breath deep amigo, a few more minutes and they will take you back, si?" Pepito's tanned fingers traced gentle patterns along Todd's knuckles. "It's not so bad, you won't even remember it, and we're going to take care of you while you recover."

"Okay," Todd squeezed Shmee closer to his chest with his left hand, while this right entangled with Pepito's. He stared at the carpet, trying to ignore the paintings of dancing teeth on the walls. His stomach rumbled in protest, and he kicked his legs back and forth. Pepito bit his bottom lip in concentration, and a few seconds later Todd felt the stress slowly fading from his body, replaced with a feeling of apathy.

"We would have had yours taken out at fourteen like Pepito's if we would have known that they were going to cause you trouble." Juan Diablo smiled, practically glided over to where the boys were sitting, and ruffled Todd's hair. "You know that everything will be fine, there is no way that you can possibly be worse than Pepito was. My beautiful Rosemarie already has the guest room prepared for you, and we stocked up on soft foods and soup. Deep breaths, Todd, deep breaths."

"Todd Maychilde Diablo?" The nurse popped her head out from the back of the office. "We're ready for you back here." She smiled kindly at the young man who had shrunk into the heavy cushions of the waiting room couch. Her hair was done up in a tight bun, her scrubs a light pink.

Shivering, Todd let go of Pepito's hand and stood up to follow the nurse, Shmee clutched tightly against his heart as his family gave him a few more encouraging words. A tentative smile touched his lips as Pepito abruptly rushed over to give him a gentle kiss on the lips before he was through the door, following the nurse to his fate.

The panoramic of his teeth was at the very front of the office, displayed on a light box that faced the dental chair, no doubt placed there to make referencing easier on the doctor and his assistant. The IV pole was on the left of the creamy faux leather chair, while the IV bag and the rest of the equipment rested on the cart on the right. Todd felt relief flood his being when he realized that whoever had set this up had kindly covered the scalpel and other sharp objects from his eyes.

"You just sit right here and Dr. Feinstone (1) will be with you in a moment, okay?" She led him over to the chair and helped him get situated, holding Shmee so that he could adjust himself properly. "If you don't mind me asking, what was that in the waiting room?" She handed Shmee back to him.

"What was what?" Todd cocked his head to the side in nervous confusion, wondering if she had somehow seen through the thick glamour that both Pepito and his father often wore, or if she had heard something that she shouldn't. It wouldn't be the first time that someone had accidently stumbled upon the family secret.

"That…um…kiss." The nurse said in a halting awkward way that made it very clear that she was uncomfortable with two men kissing, even if it was only a quick peck on the lips. A small blush appeared briefly on Todd's cheeks before he forced himself to look into her eyes, reminding himself that he had nothing to be ashamed, shy, or embarrassed about.

"I'm his consort." Todd informed her coolly, nestling his teddy bear against his heart as she began to hook the electrodes onto his chest and stomach. She seemed confused by the term, and was less inclined to touch him, nervous and judgmental. He could deal with that, he was used to that response from outsiders. A blood pressure cuff was quickly slid into place on his left arm, and then a small device was placed on his pointer finger. "You know, significant other, husband, lover, take your pick."

"No you're not, that's not legal in the eyes of the law, and it's certainly not accepted in the eyes of the lord!"

"Tell that to Pepito and his Father," Todd smirked playfully. "Besides, haven't you ever heard the saying, 'Those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind (2)'? Obviously He doesn't matter then, does He, if He's so concerned about what I'm doing with my…well, you know." Todd found it suddenly easy to ignore his own fears in light of the rather interesting conversation he was having with yet another person who thought his relationship was weird.

He had been defending his rather unorthodox union since Pepito had initiated the courtship at age eleven, having to 'justify' the relationship to both homophobic adults, snotty classmates, and overzealous Satanists that were convinced that the antichrist should be with them. The latter happened to be Todd's least favorite to deal with, to the point where he normally asked his father-in-law to explain false senses of entitlement versus real entitlement and eternal devotion.

They had preformed the nuptials when Pepito was fifteen and Todd was fourteen, a simple handfasting ceremony with Senor Diablo presiding over the ritual and all of their friends and family attending.

"Of course He mat- Oh, hello Dr. Feinstone!" The nurse's hands, which had been held out in a gesture that clearly read 'what is your problem' fell to her sides in surprise. "The patient and I were just having some chatter before you came. Are you ready to set up the IV?"

"Yes, yes. Could you hang the bag please?" Dr. Feinstone said with a big grin. He was a tall, heavyset man with pepper colored hair, a large beard, and thick glasses. Todd got one of his inklings then, a feeling that something was slightly off with the man, but not enough of one to make him feel at all worried. When the doctor reached out to shake his hand, Todd shook back while staring into his eyes. "Good to see you again Todd. I trust that you followed instructions and didn't eat past or drink past midnight? We wouldn't want you to turn into a gremlin now!"

Todd giggled and nodded his head. "I'm really nervous though. I've never been sedated before, and I don't exactly have a good history with needles." He looked again at the cart that contained the equipment.

"Not to worry, my dear boy! I'm skilled with the IV needles; I guarantee you won't feel a thing! There will be a tiny pinch, of course, and then out to dream land you'll go. I promise that you won't even bruise!"

"Okay." Todd rolled up the right sleeve of his plum silk pajama top and rested his arm on the chair, taking deep and even breaths while Dr. Feinstone scrubbed the crook of his arm with rubbing alcohol and applied a small dab of chilling numbing cream before pressing the needle against his skin. There was a quick pinch, a feeling of mild pressure where normally there was none, and then nothing. Todd smiled brightly as the short tube in his arm was connected to the longer tube that led to the IV bag.

Part of him, a large part of him that he tried to suppress at all times, wanted to rip the IV out of his arm and run away screaming. Years of therapy had lessened his fear of medical situations, but had not completely cured the damage to his psyche that had been caused by his imprisonment in the DMHI.

"Now we wait until you're in Slumberland, eh our Little Nemo?" Dr. Feinstone rubbed Todd's hand and smiled reassuringly. The young man's guardian had told him about his various anxiety disorders during the consultation appointment, and had stressed how important it was to keep him calm. "You're doing wonderfully. Might I ask what you and my nurse here were talking about before I interrupted?"

Todd had almost forgotten that the nurse existed. "My husband. You're lucky, you know…I don't think…I'll bite you…like…he did…" Todd said. His eyes fluttered and he giggled, not knowing why it was so funny. He didn't even notice that his voice seemed to be reacting slower to his thoughts, or that there was an odd shimmery feel to his surroundings. He didn't understand why he had felt so afraid before.

"Ah…Pepito, was it? I remember the little devil drew blood! He's your boyfriend then?"

The last thing Todd remembered was "You have…_no_ idea…" before his memory, and most likely the world itself, went black.

* * *

><p>Flashes of coherency afterwards gave him glances at the couch in the recovery room, a wheelchair, Pepito patting his hand, and Senor Diablo holding his arms as he walked into the Diablo household. There were chunks missing, like getting into the car, and bits that he thought he shouldn't remember, but did, like them having to crack the lower tooth on the left in order for them to get it out.<p>

The gauze in his mouth made him feel like a human chipmunk as he floated, dazed, on a sea created by the great gods Midazolam (3) and Percocet (4). The bed underneath him seemed to rock back and forth with each breath he took, the pillows under his head, propping him up, the only thing keeping him on deck. Rosemarie pressed ice packs to both his cheeks while Pepito called him treasure. Juan sat containers of water on his bedside table and tucked Gatorade in for good measure. There were voices in the living room, and every now and then a coven member would come in to check on him.

Shmee was resting over his heart, whispering secrets into the ether, and Todd had to wonder why he had ever been afraid in the first place. There was no pain, and hadn't that been it? He had been told that the whole recovery process wouldn't be comfortable, but he didn't understand what everyone had been warning him against. After all, wasn't he on a cloud above it all?

Someone took the cold from his cheeks and he felt like sobbing in sorrow. The cold felt calming, and made him feel less like some rodent human hybrid when it pressed against his skin. Todd didn't quite know when he had become so warm, but it was mildly irritating, like an itch he couldn't scratch. He felt familiar fingers caress his lips and he kissed them gently, unashamed. Pepito was there and was he floating too?

"Open up Toddlin, the gauze needs changed." The man that was standing over him was a coven member, and that was about all Todd remembers about him. Todd did what he was instructed to, opening his mouth slightly so that Pepito could slowly pull the gauze out of his cheeks. The tall man pulled out a small flashlight and checked the inside of his mouth, only to tisk in disappointment.

"The bleeding should have stopped by now. It's the left that's still oozing. Go get me one of the bags from the kit, it should take care of it." Todd groaned as the taste of blood, sharp and metallic, dripped down the back of his throat. That was soon stopped when a bag filled with something, herbs maybe, was put into his mouth against the incision, filling the space that the gauze had before.

He didn't really remember that much about the day of the surgery after that, because he was asleep for almost all of it, except for the few times he woke to go to the bathroom, or to take his pain medication, or to gesture desperately for a new icepack. There was a vague recollection of someone making tea in his mouth with a teabag and his saliva, but no sugar. Plain black tea, gross and strong.

And, of course, there was Pepito holding him so that he couldn't roll over onto his sides. It was amazing how annoying it was to lay on his back for long periods of time.

* * *

><p>The second day was worse, with the awareness that seeped through his limbs and made him feel less like he was being rocked on an ocean and more like he was being stabbed repeatedly with pins in his cheeks, and the swelling was obvious. He missed the delightful drug haze that had kept him content and oblivious the day before, and wondered if that feeling was what had destroyed his mother.<p>

Opening his mouth hurt so instead of talking he wrote on a whiteboard that one of the coven members had bought for him. He took his Percocet with a thin shake made of lots of milk, a banana, and a teaspoon of chocolate powder in order to prevent an upset stomach, but refused to eat any of the yogurt or pudding that was in the fridge. The Percocet made his skin feel tight in all the wrong ways, like it was pulled to closely to his muscles and bones, and made him tingle as if his whole body was in the process of falling asleep but aspirin wasn't strong enough to fight off the aches and pains in his jaws.

Pepito's mother kept a close watch on his icepacks, allowing him thirty minutes with them on, and then enforcing the thirty minutes off rule. It was one of the few things that made Todd feel particularly huffy, but he didn't say-or write-anything against it. The whole time he was glad that he wasn't in as terrible a mood as Pepito had been, not once had he moaned about how he wanted to die, or how he wanted to kill someone.

Pepito read to Todd out of their book collection, whispered words as decadent as dark chocolate into his ears, all the while rubbing Todd's stomach in comforting circles. Their ornate silver wedding bands caught the sunlight and the rubies and amethysts on Todd's betrothal ring sparkled in the afternoon, but he couldn't smile because it made his entire face ache.

It was afternoon, and Pepito was sleeping, when he felt the blood and snot oozing out of his nose. Panicked, he grabbed a tissue and pinched his nose, wiped away the mess, and quickly rang his bell. Rosemarie was there in an instant, and, upon seeing the problem, she was rushing out to get one of the coven members who was apparently an oral surgeon. Todd recognized him from the day before. He checked the copy of Todd's panoramic, which Pepito had insisted they get to put on their wall, and confirmed that the top third molar on the right had very slightly breached his sinus cavity. He was told not to blow his nose too hard, to just let it drip if possible, and to tell them if it got worse. The next few hours consisted of Todd leaning forward to let the infection and blood drain from his nose into a tissue while Rosemarie and Pepito held his hands.

Just on the safe side they called Dr. Feinstone and asked him to prescribe an antibiotic, which Senor Diablo would pick up on his way home from work. He was concerned that Todd might be seriously ill, and warned them to watch him for a high fever.

Pepito asked him if he wanted a lukewarm glass of cocoa, but Todd shook his head and wrote the word 'banana shake' on his board. He drank it slowly, carefully, wishing that he was well enough to eat something more solid. By the end of the day he was only spotting, and was thankful to fall back into sleep.

The next morning Rosemarie and Juan let him switch from Percocet to Ibuprofen because the tingling in his skin was getting to be a bit too much for his frazzled nerves to handle. His swelling, while it hadn't increased, hadn't decreased either. He continued to mourn the loss of the ice packs whenever Rosemarie took them away, making puppy dog eyes at his mother-in-law in the hope that she would cave.

"That would work better if your face wasn't so puffy, dear heart." Rosemarie said with a bit of a giggle, taking the pack that Todd was cradling to his face like a baby. "Pepito, sweetie, do you want anything while I'm here?"

"Could you bring in those Slaughter House movies? A bit of torture combined with some puzzles seems like a good thing to distract Todd from his troubles. Oh, and a lemon fizzy soda, please." Pepito smiled at his mother and nestled closer to Todd who was scribbling furiously on his whiteboard. Pepito looked curiously at the board. "Also, could you bring in some tissues for Todd?"

"Of course sweetie pie. You two relax, and I'll just send your stuff in a few moments." Rosemarie blew a kiss to her boys and left the bedroom to gather up their supplies. A few minutes later she set one of the coven members in with Todd's tissues, a reminder to not blow his nose to hard, and the DVDs that Pepito had requested. She brought Pepito his soda and Todd a vanilla yogurt when the movie was beginning, had Todd take his pill, and kissed both boys on their foreheads before heading out to do the grocery shopping. Todd tentatively stuck his tongue out to lap at the spoon, too scared of dry socket or annoying the stitches to open his mouth very wide, not that the swelling was helping any.

"You're doing just fine Todd." Pepito's lips ghosted across Todd's ear, sending tingles down his spine and filling his cheeks with warmth. "The swelling is supposed to peak today, and then it's all uphill from here." The screams of a random college frat boy blasted out from the television speakers while Pepito cooed and nuzzled the places that Todd wasn't sore in. Once all of the movies were over and Todd had taken his next pill, Pepito switched onto a channel that played soothing, tinkling music that reminded Todd of wind chimes in the spring.

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><p>The next day Todd was able to speak without his jaw feeling like it was going to fall off of his face. Mild bruising had begun to show on his bottom jaw where the swelling was going down, but he didn't mind the yellow and purple splotches. He got out of bed tentatively, mindful of Woofles and her chew toy, and pulled on his slippers.<p>

"Pepi, I really want to take a shower. I feel icky." Todd's voice was quiet and scratchy, but Pepito was glad to hear it. The rusty words falling from Todd's lips reminded him eerily of how he had sounded after being rescued from the DMHI.

Pepito gathered together their bathroom supplies, including a new set of clothes for the both of them, and shoved them into a cloth bag. Todd squeezed his hand in gratitude at the unspoken consent.

"I'm climbing in with you, though. Also, I don't think you should be in there too long, you still seem a bit loopy." Pepito said. He opened the door to the guest room and let his paramour go through to the hallway first. Their walk to the living room was relatively silent, their footsteps muffled by the soft crème carpet and their slippers. Pepito can't help but smile as they pass a picture of them kissing at their betrothal ceremony.

Most of the coven members that had stayed to help watch Todd were in the living room. A small handful of people were absent, either in the kitchen or at the hotel that Juan Diablo owned. The television was playing a documentary on sea creatures of leviathan size, and held most of the coven members' interests.

"Thank you." Todd whispered, looking at the people gathered in the Diablo's living room. His cheeks flushed pink as everyone's eyes turned to look at him, smiles lighting up their faces. Senor Diablo had personally picked the people in the living room, knowing that none of them felt any animosity towards Todd for being with his son.

"Ah! Finally the boy can speak again!" Senor Diablo said with a big grin. He stood up, walked over to Todd, patted him on the back, and laughed heartily. "Feeling better?"

"A little, sir. I was thinking I might have some pudding today, instead of just vanilla yogurt and shakes?" Todd asked. His voice was hesitant, and Senor Diablo could tell that the whole thing was supposed to have been a statement. "Pepito said its okay for me to shower today, too."

"Well then, I think that that would be best. I know how fastidious you are when it comes to personal hygiene…and I know that you're probably sick of bananas." Juan spoke with a hint of amusement. Todd merely nodded his head in affirmation and took Pepito's hand again, walking slowly and carefully towards the bathroom.

The soft squishy carpet ended in the laundry room, giving way to white tile and grout. Pepito made sure that the door to the laundry room was closed before he allowed Todd to start stripping out of his dirty pajamas. He kept a firm hold on Todd's arm when the young man bent over to take off the fluffy periwinkle socks that had adorned his feet for the last four days, mindful of the fact that his amigo had been having mild balancing problems since the surgery. He placed the slippers Todd loved so much, shaped like killer rabbits, on top of the dryer.

Once Todd was sans clothing Pepito led him to the bathroom and sat him on the bench that hid all of the good towels. Positive that Todd would be fine for a few moments,

He began to strip out of his own clothing and shove the whole mass of cloth into the top of the washing machine. He could here the soft pat of Todd's bare feet tapping against the blue and white tile of the bathroom floor. As soon as he had the laundry on, and had taken his own slippers off, he rushed back to the bathroom.

"Makes you glad the bathroom tiles are heated, doesn't it?" Todd whispered. A small flush covered his cheeks, as Pepito helped him to his feet. The bathroom reminded him vaguely of a dream he had had were he was under the sea, and he recalled Rosemarie telling him once, when he was in middle school, that she had wanted to give the bathroom an aquatic feel. With its blue and white swirling tiles, and abstractly painted blue walls he felt she had done a rather impressive job.

"Huh?" Pepito cocked his head to the side uncertainly, but then realized Todd must have been talking about the difference between the bathroom tiles and those in the laundry room, not…something more embarrassing. A small chuckle escaped his lips as Todd stepped into the shower. If Todd was feeling better Pepito was pretty sure that he would be terribly aroused at the sight. As things stood however, he just felt terribly protective. "Well, you know that mother loves to splurge if it makes life more convenient."

Both boys flinched a bit as the first spray of water hit them, the change in temperature expected but still shocking. It didn't take too long for the bathroom to fill up with steam, considering that they both liked their water hot enough to boil lobsters. It was one point that pleased them to no end. To Pepito, the novelty of having a bath partner that he did not have to turn the temperature down for was a never ending novelty, a treat that he had never dared hope for.

As soon as he was thoroughly soaked by the spray Todd grabbed a washcloth and a bar of soap, opium scented and imported from Florida, and began to scrub at his skin vigorously. There was something about missing several showers and being sick that just made him feel slimy, less than human. He knew that no one else felt that way about him, and that considering the circumstances he really shouldn't have been so concerned about missing a shower or two, but it didn't change the fact that he wanted to clean the reminders of his surgery experience from his body. Despite the numerous times he had gargled with saltwater the inside of his mouth tasted of decay and death. Pepito's fingers soon joined Todd's, rubbing shampoo into the black locks, expertly rubbing the tension from his scalp.

"I love you." Pepito whispered, tugging Todd closer. Wary of the bruises on his jaw, Pepito cupped the side of Todd's face and placed a gentle kiss against his lips, and then pulled away to stare into his lovers eyes. Drops of water hung on Todd's eyelashes, making the normally thin lashes seem longer and far more sensual then they actually were. He placed another kiss, a much firmer kiss, to Todd's forehead and then held him, content to feel his heartbeat.

"Heh…I love you too Pepidi." Todd teased with a giggle. There was something so right about the moments they shared, so full of passion and trust, that sometimes Todd forgot that they hadn't been born holding hands, that once he had been afraid of the man who was now carefully washing his own hair with one hand so as to not jar their embrace.

The moment Pepito finished rinsing the soap and shampoo off of their bodies the water turned off, and a fluffy towel managed to appear inside the glass shower stall. Before Todd knew what was happening Pepito had swept him off of his feet and into the towel, cradling him in his arms, against his chest. Pepito didn't even have to bat an eyelash before he had dried himself off completely, leaving Todd the only wet one in the room.

"Cheater," Todd said with a playful huff. He nestled closer to Pepito's warm and very dry chest, eyelids half closed in exhaustion. Even with the antibiotics he had been having a difficult time recuperating from the infection, mostly because of how strong it was, and because of his abnormally high stress levels. Despite the fact that he was bedridden and kept in a relaxing neutral environment he still managed to be a big ball of nerves.

"Don't pretend that that's new information, amigo, besides tu te gusto!" Pepito laughed and peppered the shell of Todd's ear with little kisses. "Anyway, this lets me spend more time drying you."

Todd sighed as Pepito sat down, readjusted their position, and began to towel dry Todd's skin and hair. Todd noticed that at some point a bottle of lotion had made its way to the bench and was touching Pepito's thigh. Upon closer inspection Todd realized that the tube contained the brown sugar and vanilla lotion that Pepito loved to lather him in, claiming that it complimented his natural scent. Knowing that there was no getting out of it, he held still as Pepito finished drying him off and began to warm the lotion, willing to let Pepito cover him in almost anything if it meant feeling less like a smelly peeling mess.

It started at the very tips of Todd's toes, and moved along his foot very slowly. Pepito's fingers, elegant and slick with lotion, seemed to know just how much pressure to place on the various muscles as he leisurely massaged Todd's calf. When he reached Todd's knee he switched over to his other leg, beginning the process again at Todd's toes. The young man couldn't help but sigh and nestle closer to his husband as the warmth of Pepito's hands lulled him into a relaxed state.

Pepito smiled into the soft fluff of Todd's dried hair as the younger man let soft sighs and coos escape his lips and ghost along Pepito's collar bone. Pepito noted that the swelling along Todd's jaw had gone down a bit, and that the bruises were starting to turn a sickly shade of yellow. His left hand found its way into Todd's hair as his right hand began to massage Todd's chest, shoulders, and arms. By the time Pepito was finished Todd's skin was soft with lotion and his natural scent, a mixture of vanilla, honey, and ink was all the more apparent when combined with the brown sugar and vanilla smell of the lotion.

"Let us get dressed then, shall we?" Pepito gently slid Todd off of his lap and onto the bench, careful to leave the towel under him. "Mother bought us a set of silk pajamas. Mine are a tad bit darker, but for all other intents and purposes they match." Pepito moved a few things around in his bag before he came up with two pairs of boxer briefs. He handed Todd the plain plum colored pair before donning his own black and red heart covered pair. Unlike Todd who favored solid colors, Pepito normally had patterns or phrases printed on his underwear and socks. A smile lit up Pepito's face as he watched Todd wiggle into his underwear and then sit back down on the bench.

"Another?" Todd asked incredulously. "Does Mom have some kind of sleepwear and bed set fetish?"

"…Noooo…" Pepito said. He cocked his head to the side and squinted at Todd. "That would imply something sexual. She just really likes us having a variety of things to wear and decorate with. Besides, I think this was a good purchase, the color will go well with your eyes. I must admit they would look lovely on the carpet in my room as well…" He leered playfully at Todd before digging a pair of honey brown pajamas out of the bag, passing them to his Squee. "Well, put them on amigo!"

Sighing, Todd stood up and slid the pants up over his hips. His fingers fiddled with the elastic band, adjusting where it sat to reveal substantially less of his shorts. The fabric was smooth and sinful, a delicate caress like the brush of a butterfly's wings, against his legs. Goosebumps broke out along his arms and he shivered, eyelids fluttering. The flush on his bruised cheeks and the tingling sensation in his belly only deepened when Pepito handed him the unbuttoned top and Pepito stroked the back of his hand with a smile. Todd slid his arms into the sleeves and began to carefully button up the pajama top, careful not to miss any of the holes. His progress was made all the more difficult by Pepito's stare, the fact that his fingers felt like gummy bears, and the unpleasant sensation of the stitches in his gums.

Once Todd was completely clothed Pepito pulled out his own pajamas, which were a rich shade of mahogany, and with a snap of his fingers was dressed. He laughed at Todd's pouting lips and puppy dog eyes, knowing very well that yet again his consort was cursing his demonic powers.

"You're awful."

"So you've said repeatedly, but you know you love me." Pepito said with a wiggle of his eyebrows. Todd's face split in a smile before he winced in pain. "Let's go fill you with Tylenol and pudding, amigo. Once the bruising is gone I promise you that the stitches will feel more natural. They might even dissolve by then." Todd got up and, hand in hand, they left the bathroom, pausing momentarily in the laundry room to get their house slippers.

A small smile gracing his lips, Todd rested his head against Pepito's shoulder. He knew that everything was going to turn out just fine, in the end. He had a day or two left of bruising, three to ten days until the stitches began to dissolve, and a little longer than that for the holes to heal completely. Today he was going to eat pudding, and tomorrow he might even switch to soup. If he was lucky, and played his cuteness up right, his in-laws might even let him and Pepito move back upstairs into their bedroom.

"What's got you so happy, chico?" Pepito asked, his lips brushing Todd's ear.

"Well, it's time for my aspirin, for one. Also, I'm thinking about what I plan to do to you when I'm all healed up…" A small blush touched Todd's cheeks. Content in the way his life was going, Todd Diablo took his husband's hand, and left in search of pudding.

* * *

><p>(1) Name is taken from the Main Character of the 1996 horror movie 'Dentist' although he looks nothing like him, and acts nothing like him (fortunately for Todd)<p>

(2) Part of a Dr. Seuss quote. "Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind."

(3) Chemical used in IV sedation, causes relaxation and amnesia

(4)Prescription pain medicine

For those of you who are intrested the Tannic acid in tea helps to promote clotting (very important when you have your wisdom teeth out).


End file.
